Automatic steering-head for bicycles



(No Model.)

A. G. GARCIA. AUTOMATIC STEERING HEAD FOR BIOYGLES. No. 605,417. Patented June 7, 1898.

M i ML W/TNESSESJ /NVE/V7 0/? ATTORNEYS.

ANTONIO o. GARCIA, or

ATENT MODESTO, CALIFORNIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 605,417, dated June 7, 1898.

Application filed October '7, 1897.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTONIO G. GARCIA, of Modesto, in the county of Stanislaus and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Steering-Head for Bicycles, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the steering-heads of bicycles by which the front fork and the steering-wheel are automatically returned to a central position by means of the weight of the rider.

It consists,essen tially, of two bearing-plates placed at one end of the steering-head and upon which the weight of the rider rests,these plates beingformed ,one or botlnwith radiallyextending notches having inclined sides, and. a ball restingin each of these notches,whereby when the Wheel is turned to one side or the other the head is slightly raised by the balls beingforced up this incline and when released i is automatically returned to its normal position by the balls rolling down the incline.

It further consists of certain improvements which will be described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the steeringheadof a bicycle, showing my improvements as attached thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side view taken upon the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a reversed plan view of a detail of the invention. Fig. 4. is a sectional side view substantially on-the line 4 4 in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the ring which cooperates with the cup shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. (i'is an inverted plan view of a felt washer which is inserted between said two parts, and Fig. 7 shows a section of a modified form of a ring to be used as a substitute for the ring I.

My device is usually applied to a bicycle as a substitute for the ball-bearingswhich are placed at the top and bottom of the steeringhead. The fork and its head A,with the tube A, which is attached thereto and extends upwardly in the center of the steeringeheadne main substantially the same as in theordinary construction.

Upon the upper surface of the fork-crown their diameter.

Attached to the lower end of the tube O,-

$erial No. 654,358. (No model.)

and surrounding thetube A is placeda plate 1. (Shown in plan view in Fig. 5.) This plate is secured to the fork-crown in such a manner as to prevent its turning, either by a pin, as shown at I in Fig. 2, or in any other suitable or convenient 1nanner.'-- The plate I is provided with a series of hemispherical recesses in its upper surface,within which are placed balls J These balls project some distance above the plate, preferably about one-half forming the portion of the head which is attached to the frame, is a cup D. This cup, as shown in the drawings, consists of a sleeve D, which is insertedwithin the tube 0 and secured thereto in any'suitable manner, and the flange D extending downward from the base thereof and embracing the plate I. The surface D just within this flange, is of practically the same size as the plate I and has a series of radially-extending grooves d, corresponding in number with the number of the balls J which are used. These grooves are each of such a depth as to receive nearly on ehalf of one of the balls within the same. The depth of the grooves cl and of the hemispherical recesses in the surface of the plate I should be such that when the balls rest inthe bottom of the groove 01 there will be a slight space between the surface D of the cup and the surfaceof the plate 1. Within the recesses and filling the same when the two parts are in this position is a washer K, of felt or other absorbentmaterial, which is designed to hold oil, so as to keep these parts freely lubricated.

This washer is of course provided with holes 70, which embrace the balls. It will be evident that with this construction when the "fork is turned the plate I, revolving beneath the fixed cup D, will cause the head to be slightly raised, due to the travel of the balls J up the inclined surface at the side of the grooves cl. The rise in the head will be comparatively slight, in no case exceeding half the diameter of the balls. It is also evident that when the handles are released the head will be brought back to its normal position by the travel of the balls down the inclines at the side of the grooves 61. The wheel will thus be brought back to a straight position automatically by reason of the weight of the rider acting upon these inclined surfaces. The return is thus a gravity return and acts automatically.

The tube 0, which forms the frame member of the steering-head, is provided with a plate H at its upper end. This, as shown in the drawings, consists of a ring inserted within the upper end-of the tube and having a flange bearing against the end of the tube.

The upper end' of the tube A, which is attached to the fork, has a cup 13 screwed thereon and with its flange embracing the ring H. The space between the end of the ring H and the bottom of the cup contains a spirally-coiled spring L, which is compressed whenever the head is raised by the travelof the balls up the inclined surfaces due to the turning of the handle-bar.

The spring L serves to keep the cup 13 at all times bearing firmly upon the balls mounted in the ring I. The cup Bis secured in place upon the tube'A by means of a-locknut F. Above this is placed a clamping-ring E, which may screw upon the tube, if desired, or be of the usual construction, in which it simply clamps upon the same. \Vith this device the return of the front wheel and the fork to a straight position is automatic. It

requires a little more power to turn the wheel from a straight course; but as the return is automatic the steering of the wheel will, as a whole, be rendered much easier than with the ordinary steering-head.

The ring or plate I is to be used as a substitute for the plate I, previously described. It resembles it in having the recesses for receiving the balls J, but differs from it in havin g its upper surface grooved or provided with flanges 1 which are undercut on their inner sides and adapted to receive the edges of the felt washer K therein. The project ing edges of the flanges overlap the edges of the washer and hold it securely against displacement. The groove formed in the upper surface of the ring I and occupied by the washer K has a rounded bottom, which raises the central part of the washer to about the level of or above the tops of the flanges 1 This secures the oiling of the surface D of the cup. The Washer may also be divided into sections, each fitting between two adjacent balls.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A bearing for the steering-head of a bi: cycle, consisting of a plate having a series of radially-extending grooves with inclined sides in its face, a plate having corresponding recesses and balls therein adapted to normally rest in said grooves, and an interposed absorbent washer apertured to receive the balls, said plates being connected respectively to the fork and frame of the bicycle, substantially as described.

2. A steering-head for bicycles, comprising a plate attached to the fork at the lower end of the head, and having hemispherical recesses in its upper surface and balls in said recesses projecting above the surface of the plate, a cup embracing said plate and attached to the frame, the bottom of said cup having radially-extending grooves with sloping sides adapted to receive said balls, a cup attached to the steering-bar and having downwardlyprojecting flanges, and a spiral spring within said cup and engaging the upper end of the frame-head, substantially as described.

ANTONIO O. GARCIA.

lVitnesses:

J ULIEN Mounor, G. E. FISHER. 

